Joy - The Sweet part of the Fruit

There is a quiet in the house tonight and for some reason this rainy evening has brought some solitude into my generally hectic schedule. Sometimes I wonder if I even take enough time to think, and at times I am sure that given too much time to think I would find myself lost in thoughts of trials and issues that try to strangle my joy. Yet here I am – time to think, alone in the quiet; and pondering where life is going, where it has been and looking long and hard at where I am in the midst of it all. And my joy remains.

Galatians 5:22, 23 describes the fruit, or perhaps better stated the gift of the Holy Spirit as it is given in nine-folded unity. It’s a bit like being given a treasure chest and upon opening it you find many facets of the gift. It is given as one treasure, but the brilliance found when opening the treasure box is like a nine-piece collection of rare and quality gems. To be given this gift is to be given the ability to bear the name of God, for each spectacular trait is a representation of a Holy God. It is not a gift seen by human eyes, but one that is experienced and sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. One great gift that brings the nine-fold blessing of love joy peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control.

I believe that the first three, love joy and peace are significant fore-runners to the other six. Of course none of these can come to be without knowing that wonderful agape love that is given by the Lord, Jesus Christ. Certainly if I have internalized this love the rest comes so much easier. The joy and the peace follow naturally and they provide the impetus for the rest. Being seated and grounded in these enables me to be faithful and good. Being filled with the love of God makes me want to be faithful and knowing who I was when He found me and what he has made me to be stirs the gentle spirit in me and covers me with the meekness that is valuable to God. In that humble gentleness I am made strong.

All the faces of the fruit of the Holy Spirit enamor me and cause me to soar with gratitude, but the joy is where I land tonight. Joy is the hand that leads me through a dark night. It is the light that shines and abounds in a hope (Phil 1:25) that sees me through yet another day. My joy is unfathomable and is entrenched in my spirit (John 15:11). It remains no matter the circumstances that arise in my life (2 Cor. 6:4-10). And this joy makes me an example of the Gospel of Christ Jesus (1 Thes. 1:6).

My source of joy arises from many levels of walking with God, but there are five that I will mention here.

(1) My joy comes from fellowship with the Father and Son (1 Jn. 1:2-4). In God my joy is made complete. It wraps around me in everlasting comfort and warms me in times of need. I am in Him and He is in me. God’s extension of Joy poured into me through the Son and by the power of the Holy Spirit - sweet and wonderful fellowship.

(2) My joy comes from knowing I have already taken hold of victory over sin and death (1Jn. 1:3-4). Sorrow may come but it will be turned to joy. One day I will see Jesus face to face and no one can take the joy he gives me.

(3) My joy comes from repentance. There is great joy in heaven when one sinner repents and that same joy fills me, not only when I see repentance in another, but also when my own heart does a turn-around in areas I lack.

(4) My joy comes through prayer John 16:24 says when I ask in prayer I will receive that my joy will be complete.

(5) I am filled with joy when I hear another person is found walking in the truth; surely there is no greater joy.

Great joy abounding – what a wonderful layer of the fruit of the Spirit. The joy of the Lord is my strength.